Their social structure varies considerably amongst the different forms of spinner dolphins. Fishermen look for dolphin pods, knowing they’ll likely be with the tuna they want, and herd them with speedboats into a tight mass before deploying a large net over the pod. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Facts about Spinner Dolphins: Nai‘a” (nay-ee-ah) is the Hawaiian word for dolphin. There are 4 subspecies of spinner dolphin: Spinner dolphins are found in warm tropical and subtropical waters in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In terms of size the spinner dolphin is one of the smallest species of dolphin measuring in at around 4 1/2 – 8 feet in length and weighing between 50 – 175 pounds when fully matured. They love to jump, flip, and twist above the surface of the water. The Giant Siphonophore and More of the Largest Living Sea Creatures, Nurse Shark Facts: Description, Habitat, and Behavior. The collective defenses of the dolphin school protect each member from harm. Spinner dolphin pods range in size from fewer than fifty to thousands. Spinner dolphins swim in the waters off Kona, Hawaii. Calves nurse for one to two years. Its diet is based on squids, fish and shrimps. Their flippers are long and pointed and it has a dark grey or black dorsal cape, paler flanks and sides and a creamy-white belly. These dolphins have a streamlined body with a protruding but narrow snout and a triangular-shaped dorsal fin. Spinner dolphins live in large pods from a few dozen to a thousand or more in tropical and subtropical zones around the world. M.S., Resource Administration and Management, University of New Hampshire, B.S., Natural Resources, Cornell University. The sound waves bounce off objects around it and are received back into the dolphin's lower jaw. These spins can involve more than four body revolutions. Small subgroups spread out across the sea. Affordable and search from millions of royalty free images, photos and vectors. 1) Bottlenose dolphins are marine mammals that live in tropical and temperate oceans (oceans with mild temperatures) around the world. and using their whistles, they call members of the school back together to unite in defense. Spinner dolphins hunt cooperatively, organized in groups. The spinner dolphin weighs 100 – 165lbs and measures 4.25ft – 6.89ft. Their flippers are small and pointed at the tips. Spinner dolphins may mate year-round, with multiple males mating with one female. Spinner dolphin is a carnivore (meat-eater). Publishing platform for digital magazines, interactive publications and online catalogs. Dolphins return to the surface regularly to breathe through a blowhole on the top of their head. Spinner dolphins frequently travel in the company of other species, such as the spotted dolphin and, in Hawai'i, humpback whales. What Are Spinner Dolphins? They are then transmitted to the inner ear and interpreted to determine the size, shape, location and distance of prey. Feeding on small fish, squid, and shrimp mostly at night in the open ocean, they return to the shallows during the day to rest and socialize. Different spinner dolphin subspecies may prefer different habitats depending on where they live. The spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris, naia)! When dolphins take a breath, they replace 90% of the air in their lungs with fresh air. The Spinner Dolphin is also famous for riding bow waves which are created in the water when boats go by. Coloration varies depending on where they live. Spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) are named after their spectacular acrobatic displays, leaping out of the water and spinning in the air. Maui Dolphin Facts. 2020 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Jennifer Kennedy, M.S., is an environmental educator specializing in marine life. They often live in larger pods with the numbers from 100 to 1,000 in them. © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, © 2015- Spinner Dolphins have long slender snouts called beaks and vary in color from light gray to near black. A dolphin can refill its lungs in less than 1/5 of a second and the exhaled air leaves the blowhole at speeds of 100mph. This lesson will teach you about spinner dolphins, how they got their name, where they live, what they like to eat and some other cool facts about them. This species lives in the open ocean and often associates with other species of dolphins and with large bony fishes. They communicate via clicks and whistles to locate position of dolphins in the group and to develop strategy required for the successful hunt. Some populations have fluid arrangements where dolphin groups join up and separate from time to time. They can spin multiple times in one leap, which can be nearly 10 feet high. 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